Hunter x Hunter: Shalnark x Side Story
by TouNiiSan
Summary: What happens when the Phantom Troupe's computer genius and programmer is thrust into the world of Infinite Stratos?
1. Introduction

Hunter x Hunter: Shalnark x Side Story

Introduction x Lust Island

The Phantom Troupe was one of the most notorious criminal gangs to walk the face of the planet.

Their primary interest was the theft of valuable objects. Anyone who had interfered with them directly ended up dead or horribly maimed. Not too long ago, the goods of the underground auction in Yorknew City were stolen by the Troupe. The goods that were actually auctioned off were found to be counterfeits after twenty four hours had passed.

The target of their next theft was a sophisticated machine that had suddenly made an appearance on the island nations of Jappon.

* * *

><p>"The Infinite Stratos is a piece of next-generation technology that has the potential to greatly amplify one's Nen, and is surprisingly male, for the most part." Shalnark explained to the other members, bringing up the image through the Hunter's Site. The Hunter's Site had information on practically every item of interest, and even attached a difficulty tag for acquiring said items.<p>

"Oh? A male?" Shizuku asked innocently, "In what way?"

"It's only willing to respond to a female user," Shalnark answered, "and I say 'respond' because all that's required is to touch it."

"So mind telling us what's the difference between this and a hentai simulation?" Machi asked coldly.

"A hentai simulation is a toy that doesn't expand your skills at combat. Conversely, the IS is a toy that doesn't expand your skills at sex." Shalnark explained. How the IS could even remind her of Hisoka was beyond his comprehension. "A hentai simulation isn't capable of destroying several thousands of missiles fired at it (it actually attracts more) unlike the IS, even though it's just a rumor so far. Remember Uvo? His Big Bang Impact carried the force of a missile. If we are able to get our hands on the IS…"

"You're thinking of replacing Uvo with a machine?" Nobunaga interrupted angrily. "Are you nuts? Out of your mind, Shalnark?"

"Look, Nobu," Shalnark continued, "Don't think I, or any of us, don't know about your friendship with Uvo. As tough as it might be for you to digest, it pains me to think about him as well. And the IS isn't here to replace him. But if we get our hands on this machine, and make sure nobody else gets it, we won't need to worry about Kurapika anymore. No more chain guy. No more dead Spiders. Got it?"

* * *

><p>For every house the Phantom Troupe walked by in the city of Togyo, Jappon, there was a ninja, samurai, or sushi bar. Nobunaga felt some familiarity with the place, and would have been able to blend in easily had it not been for his comrades. Shalnark also recognized or thought he recognized a few faces; a significant number of people from Jappon took the hunter exam when he did.<p>

"Awww, what a cute little girl!"

"Here, would you like a lollipop? Don't worry, I've got plenty!"

Those people were the innocent bystanders who mistook Kalluto for a girl. Thankfully the youngest son of the Zoldyck family was taught not to murder innocent bystanders.

The Troupe reached the building where virtual systems tycoons were busy discussing the safe distribution of the newest hentai simulation. The simulation was famous, even warranting a discussion on television, though it was typical television in Jappon. Most of the Troupe, however, knew that it was a ruse to cover up the fact that the IS was held somewhere in the building. It drove away females that could pilot and steal it. The question was the location in the building.

Shalnark concentrated Nen to his eyes and activated Gyo. The only aura present was as thin as a thread, but he traced it straight below them. It was underground.

He walked up to one of the security guards, and with a swift stab of his portable antenna to the neck, directed him to open the door to the building. The Phantom Troupe waltzed into the elevator, through the tunnels, and finally past the farthest steel door, after which Phinks took pity on the guard and generously knocked him out, much to Feitan's disappointment.

And there, sitting before them in a dimly lit room behind the thick steel door, though shining with Nen aura, was the Infinite Stratos. Shalnark made to stick his antenna into the cushion in the arm of the machine, which would then allow him to pilot it remotely back to Meteor City.

"Not yet," Kalluto said quickly. "The security seems too lax; it might be booby trapped."

Kalluto was right, though everyone else knew that already. The Troupe had expected to fight at least one Nen user along the way in a building that was used as a place for game tycoons. The machine was probably a fake or a real with a tracking device planted into it to lead interested hunters like Kurapika directly to their hideout.

This time, everyone activated Gyo and searched the machine for a tracking device. Kalluto's suspicions were partially confirmed. Though there wasn't anything resembling a tracking device, the IS was wired to a particularly unappealing Miniature Rose hidden not too far below ground. Simply pulling it up with brute force would cause the localized nuke to explode in their faces.

But it also held an unusual power source that emitted an aura of its own, with a couple of God's Letters inscribed on the surface of its case. Nen was involved here, and the IS could probably activate through Nen. Not to mention that the wire wasn't set to snap or conduct Nen when it was used.

"So who wants to start?" Shizuku asked. Everyone looked at Shalnark, who brought up the idea in the first place and was their technological specialist to begin with. However, Shalnark had no special ideas to dismantle the thing or even to hack it. The God's Letters inscription ensured that he wouldn't be able to do anything but use his Nen on it. He simply started by placing his hands on the machine and activated his Nen.

And then he disappeared.

* * *

><p>He was alone in a different tunnel than the others. The other nine members of the Troupe were elsewhere. Instinctively, he picked up his cell phone and dialed Feitan.<p>

The door opened and a few women walked into the room. None of them had visible Nen auras around them, so all he had to do was use touch them with Nen and be away. In fact, he thought he would greet them with the thought: _Attack me and you die._

The women noticed immediately and tried to hide their fright. They had no way to force him out. He made it absolutely clear, without words or gestures, that there was no way that they would be able to without heavy weaponry. Yet Shalnark noticed a strange sort of defiant superiority in their eyes, despite their forced submission to his Nen.

In any case, finding the other Spiders came first. He turned back to face the machine. By accident, his hand bumped against it. Within seconds, his consciousness became entwined with digital data and he was equipped with a mechanical suit.

* * *

><p>AN: Finally, I can get this idea out of the way. I'm starting to make this into a bad habit, though, and really should finish my existing stories first. -_-;; Forgive me if the characters seem a little OOC, I will try to fix that in future editions.

Oh, and please R&R. Thanks :)

Hunter X Hunter © Togashi Yoshihiro

IS: Infinite Stratos © Yumizuru Izuru


	2. Chapter 1

Academy x Life

"So where're you? We hear lot of different tongue from Kalluto's technique." It was common for Feitan to botch his Japanese, but nobody wanted to hear his Chinese for fear of the catastrophe of utter rage that would follow.

"Those were my 'parents', 'welcoming me home'." Shalnark answered his cell phone casually, toying with a piece of paper in his hands, courtesy of Kalluto. He didn't have to mention that he originated in the garbage dump of Meteor City and thus, like the other members of the Troupe, had no official records listed anywhere. None of them had any interest in learning about their real family (save Kalluto, who wanted to learn about Alluka); the Troupe was family enough for all of them.

"Really? How it go?"

"Fairly well." Indeed, it was almost funny to see his many "parents" crying crocodile tears as they came to hug him, while their noses wrinkled at his lack of expensive perfume. They presented "legitimate" birth certificates complete with ridiculous names like "Igor Shalnarksky" and "Shalnark Holmes". He had to compliment them for their creativity. "It sucks that none of the other IS could teleport me back though."

Feitan paused for a moment to think.

"How you get adopt?"

"I ended up in the testing ground for this IS 'exam' when I teleported."

"There _test_ for that?"

"Apparently. It's nothing compared to the Hunter exam though."

"Weak."

"Best way not to be so suspicious is to take it."

"Come from a guy who say IS only for girl…"

"I hit the machine with Nen."

"I see."

Now Shalnark recalled their earlier heist. "What happened to the IS?"

"Abandoned. God Letters no there anymore. We still can hack IS, but need you come back first."

"I'll find a way."

"Good luck," Feitan said, before hanging up. Privately, he was forced to realize that the Troupe wasn't able to properly pull off heists without the guidance of their boss.

* * *

><p>In Greed Island, fellow players tried to defeat each other and complete certain requirements to get cards to complete the game. Almost everyone was an adult chasing cards like an overly obsessed child. The Troupe didn't play with the other players, nor was finishing the game their priority. Most of the players hunted each other, the weaker trying to avoid the stronger, naturally meaning, of course, that those who encountered the Troupe ended up dead.<p>

But in the IS Academy, everyone hunted Shalnark. He was only one of two boys to be able to pilot an IS, and to the other girls (everyone else) in the school, he was a rare specimen or a hunted item, the "Angel's Breath" or the "Pregnancy Stone". _Hold onto this boy for one month and you will get pregnant_, he thought uncomfortably.

There was only one other boy. One.

"My name is Orimura Ichika! …that is all!" the other boy introduced himself.

Orimura Ichika's failure to impress was so glaringly obvious that even his sister, Orimura Chifuyu-sensei, had to hit him on the head for it. Shalnark recognized the coldness in her eyes that was so typical of Machi; it didn't help that he was a step below that kind of character when it came to authority.

In any case, Orimura Chifuyu's fortunate appearance helped him be less conspicuous, especially when she had a fanclub whose shrieks drowned out his presence. Shalnark decided to hide his Nen with Zetsu and took out his cell phone, keying Feitan's number.

_BAM!_

"Cell phone use is not permitted during class!"

* * *

><p>It's been a while since he felt the impact of a normal fist. It made him feel as though he had lost a few brain cells. And this came from a woman who didn't have an ounce of Nen to boast of. He gave some thought to releasing Nen just to ward it off a little the next time it would happen.<p>

Shalnark returned to his thoughts on hacking the IS in the corporation's storage and cracked open the instruction book. The technological stuff was beyond the most advanced computer his world boasted and the text was in another language altogether. But the language structure was similar to the conventional Hunter writing system, so Shalnark deduced it by substituting the right characters.

_Hm, what an amusing history_, he thought, smiling as usual.

"Could I please have a moment?" a girl's voice broke his chain of thought.

"Sure," Shalnark replied, putting the book on his desk and turned around to meet a clearly pampered upper-class girl, with distinctive blond strands of hair spiraling down the front of her uniform. Just then, his phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?"

"See? I told you we could reach his cell!" Phinks' arrogant voice sounded through the phone.

"Yeah, but could you at least explain?" Shizuku cried indignantly, which was rare overall, but Phinks had that effect on most people.

"It's powered by Nen. Simple enough, you airhead?" Phinks again.

"Phinks, please stop." Franklin was intervening to protect Shizuku, as usual.

"Just having me talk to you should make you feel honored. Can't you at least be more respectful?" This voice, unfortunately, did not come from the phone but from the noble girl who had asked him earlier, meaning the criminals and mass murderers who were on the other end of the phone heard it clearly. Said criminals and mass murderers would be plotting a way to ransom the girl right now.

"And who are you exactly?" Shalnark and Phinks asked simultaneously.

"You don't know who I am? Cecilia Alcott?" she exclaimed, slamming her hands on his desk and her blond curls in his face, "Surely you've never heard of me as a valedictorian student, and a representative candidate from England?"

"Hey girlie, does it look like I give a fu-"

"So what is a representative candidate?" Shalnark asked, quickly muffling out what would've been the last of Phinks' sentence. All of his classmates, Cecilia included, were immediately startled at the question.

Luckily, Cecilia explained it to him, after she had calmed down, of course. "They are elites chosen as candidates to represent the country as the IS pilot. You can imagine what it means from these words, right?"

"I see."

"Yes, I am an elite! It's quite a miracle and good fortune that you can be in the same class as a chosen individual such as myself. Can you try understanding this reality?"

Phinks was screaming profanities at the unfortunate girl like there was no tomorrow; his voice distinct despite being muffled through the phone.

"Sounds great." Shalnark said, smiling as he hung up and pocketed his phone. However, Cecilia did not leave his face.

"Are you making fun of me?" She took his statement, innocent as it was, offensively. Never once had the boy _not_ smiled, and the way that calm smiling face absorbed all that royalty thrown at him was beginning to irritate her.

"I don't think I said anything offensive."

"How can you enter this school in the first place without knowing this?" Cecilia asked hotly. "You are one of only two males who can control an IS and the only person in this school who doesn't even belong to a country! I thought it might have been fortunate for England to adopt you but maybe the other one was more special."

"Oh, the country that called me 'Shalnark Holmes'? That name doesn't fit me." Truth be told, none of them did.

"Why not? You should be proud to have such a great surname, even if it isn't as great as mine!" Cecilia's face was practically a radiator now. Shalnark shrugged in response.

"But since I am awesome, I will even be nice to people like you if you don't fully understand anything. If you come crying to me, I would not mind teaching you." She said, calming down and trying to drown him in her noble prestige, "After all, I am an elite among elites who defeated an instructor during the entrance exam."

"I also defeated an instructor." Shalnark said, completely startling the pampered girl. "And so did the other boy, I've heard." Of course, Shalnark won by startling the instructor with Nen and then exploiting every open spot that was available with the sword that came with the machine, but it was better not to elaborate.

"I heard that it was only me…"

"Among the women?" Shalnark finished.

"So you also defeated an instructor?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Cecilia was about to retort, but the bell signaling the end of break rang.

"Please, let's continue this conversation later. All right?" she asked, pointing at him angrily.

Shalnark thought that maybe he should have chosen a better response if the world he was in was simply a remap of Greed Island. It was almost a wonder that nobody else reacted. In that case, would he be able to claim the IS by beating the game? Thinking about the force Orimura-sensei was able to exert on his head made him reconsider the "game theory", however.

* * *

><p>A few class periods later heralded the selection of a class representative. Most of it was irrelevant to Shalnark, who had already formulated two separate plans for the scenarios of his election, but preferred not to be elected to make more time available for him to search for an IS with God's Letters on its core. He sat there, flipping through the books to examine the IS and its diagrams, wearing earplugs to drown out the noise his classmates were making. <em>For instance, would there be a way to damage the IS without depleting the shields first-<em>

_WHACK!_

An earplug fell to the floor and was quickly flattened by Orimura-sensei's shoe. "I appreciate your dedication to the IS but this is a special discussion that especially concerns you, Shalnark. Pay attention."

"Yes, sensei." Shalnark replied, nursing his head with one hand while the other one held the book. Several girls giggled.

"The class representative is as its name indicates. The class representative will not only compete in the tournament, but will also attend student council meetings and committee meetings as well. Well, you can consider it like a class leader. On a side note, the inter-class battles are meant to gauge each class' enrollment ability. Though there isn't much difference right now, some competition will encourage further improvement."

If this truly was a game titled "Lust Island", Shalnark would have been fine with taking the representative position, winning the tournament, attending meetings, and completing the game, all actions almost laughable for any member of the Phantom Troupe including himself. Unfortunately, the people exhibited human characteristics, as opposed to manipulated people or Nen puppets, so all of the above were impediments that prevented him from exiting IS Academy. He _wished_ this kind of discussion was irrelevant to him.

"I nominate Shalnark-kun as our representative!" a girl called.

"I nominate Orimura-kun as our representative!" another one said.

"Shalnark-kun is more dedicated!"

"Orimura-kun is more competent with the IS!"

"Either one is fine! They're both really hot!"

Ichika turned to Shalnark with a nervous look. Shalnark answered it with a shrug and a smile. In the midst of the surrounding chaos, he raised his hand.

"Yes, Shalnark." Orimura-sensei called.

"If it comes down to this, could we just flip a coin?"

"I object to this unacceptable selection!" Shalnark knew who it was without having to turn around.

"Having a man represent our class only brings shame to this classroom! And by something as utterly ridiculous and haphazard as _flipping a coin_! Do you ask this Cecilia Alcott to bear this shame this year? Living in such an underdeveloped culture makes me feel so bad!" Cecilia Alcott complained. It was almost a surprise that she hasn't come under heavy fire yet.

"Britain has so few things to pride with. How many times has your country won the annual worst cuisine award?" Ichika countered accidentally. Shalnark chuckled. In hindsight, it might not have been such a bad idea to become "Shalnark Holmes" out of pity.

"Are you insulting my country? This is a duel then!" Cecilia shouted.

"Fine then, this duel will settle things better than debating." Ichika replied. Shalnark turned around to look. "Yes, that means you too!" Cecilia added, and walked towards them.

"If you dare lose on purpose, I will make both of you my slaves! So be prepared to fight well. Remember what I said about losing on purpose!"

"Don't tell me that you're planning on fighting both of us at the same time." Shalnark said.

"As a matter of fact, I am." Cecilia said proudly. "Did you know? Ever since the IS was introduced, people have been saying that if men and women would have gone to war, it wouldn't last three days."

"I agree." Shalnark said, but released Nen at her with the intent to scare. "The war won't last three days, because we'll be the ones who win. I'll even use an Uchigane and I'll fight after Ichika loses, but only if he loses. Sound okay, Orimura-sensei?"

"Very well. But note that Orimura-kun gets priority in receiving a personal IS because no country is able to determine your citizenship. Japan is willing to give you one as well, but only if you're willing to become a Japanese citizen."

"Alright. Thank you, sensei. I'll consider it."

Cecilia gritted her teeth, forced to consent to the conditions of a street boy without a citizenship of any country at all. The other girls who weren't exposed to his Nen scoffed at the handicap he was willing to give her, but Shalnark's mind could only be occupied by a disturbing image of Feitan in his Pain Packer suit laughing maniacally and roasting Cecilia and her IS to a crisp.

* * *

><p>AN: Usage of "Japanese" to describe the Hunter language in the Hunter X Hunter verse is purely from our point of view. Applying "Japponese" sounds strange to the HxH-verse, especially considering that few of the Hunter applicants during the 287th exam (the one taken by the main characters of Hunter X Hunter) knew what sushi (a "Japponese" dish) was.

The "game theory" mentioned here bears no reference to John Nash's Game Theory in our real world.


	3. Chapter 2

Cecilia Alcott x Shalnark x Sarashiki Tatenashi

"So Houki, could you please tutor me on the IS? At this rate, if I'm unprepared, then I'll lose. Worse, I'll end up becoming Cecilia's slave." Ichika begged. Shalnark stood in front of him in line, flipping through the pages of the IS book, only looking up to receive his food.

"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't gone recklessly along with the provocations against Cecilia." Houki replied.

Shalnark turned around at that unnaturally cold voice that seemed similar to Orimura Chifuyu's and Machi's. The perpetual frown on her face almost startled him, especially when everybody else in the school smiled. None of the girls in the Troupe smiled either, but at the same time, none of them, not even Machi, frowned with such astonishing intensity. Shalnark wondered if the number of "no's" in her name had anything to do with the negative façade she put up.

"Ah, right." Ichika introduced the other male in the school to his childhood friend as they picked a table for lunch. "Houki, this is Shalnark. Shalnark, Shinonono Houki."

"Nice to meet you," she said quietly.

"Aren't you the girl who dragged him out of the classroom?" he asked, setting down his tray.

"Ah- Y-yes I was." Houki stammered. She looked away quickly, blushing lightly. "You seem to be pretty observant."

"The other girls were talking about it a lot. It was interrupting my reading." Shalnark shrugged. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

"Hey, are you the boys mentioned in the rumors?" Another girl approached the trio. Shalnark discerned from the confidence in her eyes that she boasted experience, and from her generally taller height that she was in a higher grade.

"Which ones?" Shalnark asked, turning to look at her.

"The ones who are going to fight against that representative," she answered. "Is it true?"

"Yep," Shalnark nodded. He spied Ichika turning pale behind him, and recalled that Ichika was a below-average student in this school by performance, and thus would gain more from remaining unknown.

He turned back to the girl. "Is there something you need?"

"No, rather, I'm offering something that you need. I can teach you about the IS." She paused for a moment, and Shalnark caught something of a glint in her eyes as she glanced at a faraway table. "My table is over there, so we could start, but, we only have room for one more, so…"

"It's fine." Shalnark said, holding out a 100-Jenny coin. "We can just flip a coin. You want to be heads, Ichika?"

"Uh, alright." Ichika said. Shalnark flipped the coin into the air, caught it, and opened his palm.

It landed on a heads. Ichika looked nervously at Houki before getting up to leave.

"No need. I'll be teaching him." Houki intervened, and Ichika sat down.

"You're only a first year, right? Pardon me, but I should be more suited to teaching him."

"…I, I'm Shinonono Tabane's little sister." she squeezed out reluctantly. That effectively stunned the senior student.

"Then…"

"I'll come, if it's alright with you." Shalnark said. The girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Good luck, Ichika. Study well."

"You too, Shal."

* * *

><p>The nickname Ichika gave Shalnark reminded him of Phinks. Phinks often referred to other people by a nickname composed of the first few syllables of their names. "Feitan" became "Fei" and "Bonolenov" "Bono".<p>

"So, Shalnark-kun, what's your favorite animal?"

His attention went back to the girls who invited him to their table. Most of them were obviously prepared for a conversation rather than to give him information on the IS.

"The spider," he answered, smiling.

Many of the girls tried to hide their disgust, but it was as clear as day to Shalnark. All of them wanted to be rid of him as soon as possible.

Except for one girl, who seemed to regard him with more interest than before…

"What is it, Tatenashi? You like guys like that?"

"He's fun, don't you think?" she asked cheerfully. "Most guys wouldn't reply so honestly with that kind of answer."

…but her red eyes disturbed Shalnark greatly, and with good reason. The Phantom Troupe was being hunted by someone with red eyes, albeit said hunter's was a brighter scarlet.

"I guess so…"

"Come after school to the gym." Tatenashi told him. "I want to see how good you are."

"Oh, a practice test?" Shalnark asked.

"Yes," Tatenashi answered. "And no, it's not pencil and paper. We will be sparring in hand-to-hand combat, Igor Shalnarksky."

Without a doubt, this girl was dangerous. There was no way she could have known that name without making contact with government officials or being familiar with them in some way.

The bell rang and everyone headed to their next class. However, the girl with the red eyes, Tatenashi, decided to drag him to her next class, adding along the way that she was the school president, and that Yamada-sensei would be okay with it. She even said that he would be able to learn more about the IS in this next class. Shalnark could only expect so much from taking a course from a girl in a grade above.

* * *

><p>"So how you first school day?" Feitan asked.<p>

"About as good as your Japanese," Shizuku replied casually. Feitan cursed back at her in Chinese, causing Franklin to intervene and break up the dispute.

"A bit difficult. It's like a Greed Island scenario that keeps you from moving around." Shalnark replied after things had settled down at the other end. He had dialed Feitan after arriving at his five-star hotel room of a dorm, and was searching for information on the IS over the internet. "I attract unnecessary amounts of attention without trying because I'm only one of two boys here."

"I thought you in school. Instead, you go party in _Lust Island_."

"I wish it was that much of a party." Shalnark sighed. "The school council's president has red eyes and sparred with me today while telling me about the IS."

"You no lose, so still party in Lust Island."

"Actually, I lost."

"What?"

"Just kidding," Shalnark laughed, "Though she's quite skilled at martial arts for a human without Nen."

"…you say she has red eyes?"

"Her eyes are a darker shade and she's a far cry from Kurapika, from what we've seen of him through Paku. It might just be a coincidence."

"Be careful."

"I'll keep that in mind," Shalnark turned to the other male in the school, "Hey Ichika, want to speak with a friend of mine?"

"Oh, okay." Ichika replied wearily. Shalnark handed him the phone; Ichika was so tired that he wouldn't be able to catch it. The bruises he sustained looked like they had resulted from combat more than any kind of studying from a book, in a similar case to Tatenashi sparring with Shalnark in the gym. "Hello?"

"Hey! You other guy in girl school? What name?"

"Uh, I'm Orimura Ichika." He replied, clearly feeling awkward at the realization that the other guy was not very fluent in Japanese, "Nice to meet you."

"Feitan," the interrogator introduced himself. "How school?"

"Uh, there are a lot of girls here…"

"Any one you like?"

"Well…"

"Okay. Give back the phone."

"Here," Ichika handed the phone back to Shalnark. "Your friend is really something."

"They're pretty weird people, I know." Shalnark said. "But they mean well." He held up the phone to talk to Feitan. "Hello?"

"Have fun in Lust Island, _lots_ fun." Feitan said lewdly. "Go stick antenna right up their-"

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

"Bastard hung up on me!" Feitan cursed on the other end of the line in Meteor City.

* * *

><p>Shalnark used Gyo to view Ichika's battle with Cecilia, hoping that either one or both of the cores would contain the God's Letters necessary for him to return home. Unfortunately, neither boasted God's Letters; he would have to search for another IS that had one.<p>

Ichika's preparation consisted solely of moderately intense kendo training, meaning his time spent on the machine was effectively nil. Shalnark may actually have to battle. He could use Nen to force the Uchigane to adapt to him. It would then optimize him for battle conditions, amplifying his Nen output. Then he could transfer his Nen to the IS's engines for sudden speed boosts, as long as it didn't overload the engines.

The match had ended. Ichika had lost. Worse, Cecilia's shields were still full, and she was simply waiting for her Equalizers to be repaired. Shalnark frowned as he took out an antenna. Sticking it somewhere inconspicuous was going to be difficult, especially considering he was wearing a skin-tight suit (and in no way was he going to stick it down his pants).

He steeled his nerves for the pain that would follow after Autopilot and walked into the hangar.

* * *

><p>Cecilia Alcott had won the match against Orimura Ichika. But rather than being proud and haughty, she was entirely confused.<p>

She was confused for a good reason. Ichika's sword had almost reached her, but somehow, his shields were emptied seconds before he was able to score that hit. Not to mention that previously, he was only fighting with initial settings for his IS.

Regardless, he as good as won the match. But she still had another match to go, against the other boy who came from no country: Shalnark. She still wondered what special power of his forced her to submit to his conditions. He proved that he was strong without doing anything at all. But that made her all the more curious of what exactly his strength was.

She felt cold to her stomach.

Shalnark flew out in his Uchigane. But the Blue Tears was detecting an energy output that no training unit could ever hope to accomplish! It was above even a third-generation unit such as her own!

And his hair, a smooth bowl cut before, was now spiked aggressively. He was staring directly at her, completely focused on defeating her. As interested in him as she was, she started to feel fear in this boy, not unlike when he had given her his conditions.

Could her cannons damage him? What about her drones?

The match began. She looked square at the Uchigane and fired. As intimidating as his energy output proved to be, it should go down with enough shots.

He disappeared from view. She gasped as he shot above her line of fire and, conjuring a rifle, began to fire nine shots of his own.

All nine rounds were headed directly towards her face.

She dodged narrowly and fired back. "You…you dare aim at the face of a beautiful girl such as myself?" At least Ichika was polite earlier and aimed for her torso.

He didn't respond, and kept firing, and closing the gap between them. His grip was tight on his rifle; in no way was he thinking about switching to a short-ranged weapon.

_What was he up to?_ She never thought this would happen before, but her aim was shaky. Was it due to the influence of this boy or the sheer energy output of everything he was doing?

In any case, if he observed the bazookas the Blue Tears boasted, he should know that closing in would be a mistake!

But he closed in anyway, and then his face was only a few feet from hers'. She blushed as he looked at her with those resolute eyes.

The bazookas fired. She hit him. A clean shot. It should have blown him away and ended this match in her favor.

But he clung to her waist with two arms and no weapon. And he was out of range of her rifle and bazookas. The next thing she knew, she was facing the sky and accelerating downwards at a rapid rate.

_This was his plan from the start! A dive bomb!_

The only thing she could do was direct the drones to fire at his backside in hopes that she could deplete his shields to end the match. But the drones only caused her to accelerate downwards at a faster rate.

She saw his face, so close, and so determined…

_CRASH!_

"Ending the match. Winner – Shalnark Dunois." Later, while Cecilia Alcott would giggle in amusement at her two competitors settling their bout with a coin flip, "Shalnark Dunois" would twitch in excruciating muscle pains while wondering how he had ever been given that name.

* * *

><p>AN: The title's purpose is mostly to exhibit Hunter x Hunter's titling style. While it does imply pairings, to warn you ahead of time, this will not be developed. They most likely will be in the sequel, however, provided said sequel materializes.

The Japanese pronunciation of "Shalnark" is "Sharunaku". The Japanese pronunciation of "Charlotte" is "Sharurotto".


	4. Chapter 3

English x Toy

"I'll take heads this time," Shalnark said.

"Tails then," Ichika replied, holding a 100-yen coin in his hand.

"No hard feelings if either one of us loses, alright?" Shalnark turned around agonizingly to face the rest of his classmates. They consented easily. They better have. He was on the verge of using Nen to make sure that they did. The pain after Autopilot ensured that he wouldn't be able to turn without experiencing a very intense degree of pain at his waist. He turned back to face the coin.

Ichika flipped it into the air. All eyes were on it.

It fell on his desk and rolled around for a few seconds, before finally stopping flat on heads.

"Guess I'm the class representative then," Ichika sighed. Shalnark sighed out of relief, and again when his first sigh was drowned out by the cheers of almost every girl in the class. The two had voted each other for class representative, betting on the coin that the _other_ must take the position.

"Excuse me, may I say something?" Cecilia asked. Both boys turned around to meet their competitor. She was smiling, as though she was amused that the class representative was decided by sheer virtue of coin flip. "I apologize for being so petty earlier and I thank you for showing me how strong both of you were. In piloting an IS, actual combat experience matters more than anything. When you become a class representative, you will encounter many battles."

The other girls were now espousing something along the lines of "generating publicity" and "extending the boys to the other classrooms." How exactly the other girls made this out to be _publicity_ Shalnark did not know. He did know, however, that a certain nation named "France" wasn't willing to give him up so easily and continued to make claims that he was part of the "Dunois family". Said family had a member named "Charles Dunois", which sounded similar in Japanese, but did not make the French claim any more believable.

"And also," Cecilia continued, casting a sideways glance at Ichika, "For one such as me, who is superior and elegant, as well as beautiful and perfect…" (Shalnark thought this disputable.) "…if you wish to be taught about the IS, I shall gladly-"

The sound of hands slamming on a desk was heard throughout the classroom.

"Sorry, but Ichika already has a tutor, since he asked me directly to do so." Shinonono Houki answered, standing up.

"Well well, if it isn't the C-ranked Shinonono-san!" Cecilia said heatedly. "What might be your business with an A-rank such as myself?"

"R…rank has nothing to do with it! He entrusted himself to me! Go tutor the other boy if you have no one else!"

"Sit down you idiots!" Orimura-sensei intervened. "You're like chicks who haven't pecked out of their shells yet, so stop trying to size each other up!" She then turned to Shalnark and everyone felt the temperature in the classroom fall by five degrees. "And you. See me after class." The girls wondered what Shalnark did to upset her greatly.

They also wondered why Cecilia preferred to talk to Ichika instead of Shalnark. While Cecilia had experienced intense trauma from the death of her parents, Nen was an entirely new experience. Shalnark's intimidation by Nen, however temporary, had a lasting effect on Cecilia, who now wanted to have as little to do with him as possible. Cecilia thus concentrated most of her attention on Ichika, allowing Shalnark the privacy that Ichika lacked.

That privacy proved to be short lived.

Later, the class held a party commemorating Ichika's election as a class representative. Shalnark, being one of the nominees, had to go there. In no way would he be forced in when he was still in pain from Autopilot.

His mind was still occupied by what Orimura-sensei simply grilled into him.

"_You thought you would hack the IS and sacrifice your own life energy to win that fight? I'd be entertained to know how you managed it, and simply relieved if it was just a hack, but did you really think I wouldn't notice the sheer fatigue and pain you're enduring? How many years do you think you lost? Ten? TWENTY?"_

"_Yes, sensei." It was all he could say to her right now. She didn't understand what Autopilot really did or what had actually happened, but that wasn't the point._

_She raised her fist into the air and brought it crashing onto his skull. Tears leaked from Shalnark's eyes from the sheer pain of taking that hit._

"_You fool! There are plenty of things in this world that are more important than victory! I'll overlook what you did this time, but think about what you could have done with those extra twenty years!"_

His head was still spinning from the hit. If he hadn't concentrated his Nen to his head to defend against that attack, he would have to deal with a concussion for the next few days.

"Chifuyu-nee hit you hard?" Ichika asked, turning to meet him.

"Sort of," Shalnark said, tenderly rubbing his head.

"Sorry about that."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

Ichika paused for a moment to calm down Cecilia and Houki, and every other girl that strived to get the attention of either of them.

"She thinks I sacrificed my life energy to win that match." Shalnark sighed. He was evidently not in the condition to answer a group of fangirls, let alone "go to this room" or "go to that room" after the party.

"I can't really blame Chifuyu-nee for that." Ichika said, leaning back. "I was being ransomed by a secret group that didn't want her to win. She could've taken first place in the Mondo Grosso, the IS tournament, but she threw the final match to save my life."

"I see." Orimura Chifuyu's tirade made sense then. The questions the vice president of the Newspaper club was trying to force onto him didn't make much sense though. He just answered them to the best of his ability.

The picture taken of Class 1-1 had a casually smiling Ichika and Cecilia, a fuming Houki, and a widely-grinning Shalnark. That grin was the result of trying to hide the pain going off from being accosted by clusters of girls right before the picture was taken. _Why couldn't they just be like Machi, Pakunoda, or Shizuku and keep to themselves? _He thought after the picture. _Oh right, it's a girls' school._

* * *

><p>Shalnark was <em>still<em> in pain the next day.

He still had the stamina to ask a few questions about the IS, as the other girls requested; said questions were often deep and difficult enough to drive them away. Some avoided him, while others dove into the books to find an answer. He used that spare time to contemplate the IS.

The first IS he encountered had God's Letters written on its core, programmed to teleport him to this world, this "Lust Island". The core itself was just a power source, albeit a very unusual one. The way it functioned was enough to frighten Shalnark when he examined it with Gyo, though there didn't seem to be anything particular about it. It gave him a bad feeling when he stared into it, as though the countless victims he slaughtered were going to take vengeance on him. If anything, it reminded him of Kurapika's scarlet eyes, glaring at him through Pakunoda's transmitted memories.

_The scarlet eyes and the IS core…a connection?_ That was an absurd connection to make, even for Shalnark. Something closer to that would be a Specialization-type Hatsu.

"Hatsu", the release of one's Nen, wasn't limited to Nen users. From what Shalnark had been taught about Nen, Hatsu was everywhere, from the way people decided to make a living to the operations of technological weapons themselves. Artwork made with one's heart contained traces of Nen, somewhat like enhancement. And though the IS was a mass-produced machine, it materialized the weapons that were needed as a materialization user did. _But why couldn't I detect any Nen on the IS…?_ He wondered. _Is there another material that is used to imitate Nen that also enables the AI?_

Shalnark's thoughts were interrupted by a girl's voice with a Chinese accent. She shouted a challenge at Ichika about something, but as what was thought impossible for Shalnark, he paid special attention to her appearance. Huang Lingyin was a short girl with a small canine peeking out from behind her upper lip. Her long brown hair was tied by ribbons into two pigtails.

His thoughts switched to how incredibly lucky she was that Feitan wasn't around to see her.

* * *

><p>Yet, Feitan still talked about her over the phone, sounding as sadistic as an interrogator could sound. Shalnark still held onto the piece of paper that Kalluto stuck onto him, which made it possible to track the sounds around him and was the reason Feitan was able to talk about Huang Lingyin in the first place. Not that he was going to throw it away. He was the lost one in this situation and needed to notify the others. And Feitan's perversions were probably the result of reading one too many Trevor Brown books…<p>

Someone knocked on the door and Ichika answered. The sound of that same Chinese-accented voice made Shalnark want to hide Kalluto's slip of paper under his blankets.

"Ah…Ichika, do you remember our childhood promise?"

Ichika paused for a moment to remember. Why it was taking this long Shalnark did not know, but he saw from the corner of his eye a very peeved Shinonono Houki and a few strands of blonde hair.

"Oh…that one! If you get better at cooking then you'll always…"

"Yeah that one!" Lingyin said smiling.

"…treat me to sweet and sour pork, right?"

"…what?" Lingyin was dumbfounded.

"Put me on speaker." Feitan ordered, "Now." Reluctantly, Shalnark pressed the speaker button on his phone.

"Hey woman!" Feitan shouted in Chinese. Lingyin looked up, tears in her eyes and clenching her fists.

"What is it? Can't you see we're busy here?" Her eyes turned for a second to glare at Ichika.

"No I can't see you but I don't give a fuck about that, do I?" Feitan asked, sending his Nen through the phone to intimidate her. "Little girl, shut up for a moment and listen or I'll come over myself and tear out your fingernails. I'm sure your boyfriend there wouldn't want that to happen, right?"

That sentence was filled with more than enough insults to set off the girl like a firework, but, as was the case with Cecilia, Lingyin had only experienced Nen for the first time and shut up.

"Good girl. Now listen closely to what I am about to say…" Of course, he was speaking in Chinese, and neither Ichika nor Shalnark knew what he was saying. Instead, they tried to figure it out from studying her face, which went from angry, to wide-eyed, to depressed, and finally to dejected.

Feitan finished his speech and hung up and Huang Lingyin left Ichika's room quietly, crying angry tears. Right after that, Houki approached Ichika and kicked him square between the legs, telling him to "get kicked by a horse and die". Shalnark did not bother to ponder the reason; he knew from seeing her that she had an unreasonable and unpredictable personality.

He thought about the girl's change in expression. Not that he understood what Feitan said in his native language, but he could tell from Feitan's tone and Huang Lingyin's face that he threatened her about something. There was no way Feitan could pull off a torture session on Lingyin without traveling here first, and he had no idea how to do that either. Chances are it was to activate Nen in her, as had probably happened in one or two cases where Feitan interrogated some of his significantly intelligent victims. _But why activate Nen in the girl in the first place?_

"Shal, what did your friend do?" Ichika accused.

Shalnark could only close his eyes and shake his head. "I have no idea. Feitan's demented. I'd rather not know what goes on inside his head." The interrogator really needed to drop those Trevor Brown books.

* * *

><p>"Crap, I was too late to get a ticket for Ichika's match." Shalnark sighed. It was the day of Ichika's match with Huang Lingyin, which meant that he would be able to observe multiple IS's for the God's Letters that might be written on their cores.<p>

The pain from Autopilot had worn off over the week. He ran to hangar to wish Ichika luck. There was no telling how long he would have to stay in the IS Academy. Shinonono Houki and Cecilia Alcott were also there; both focused their attention on Ichika and cheered for him, while casting momentary glares at each other. Houki merely nodded at Shalnark while Cecilia gave him a slight wave of her hand and turned away just as quickly.

Lingyin was using an IS markedly different from an Uchigane, and much more impressive; in short, a personal IS. Shalnark activated Gyo to observe it. Much to his disappointment, its core did not contain God's Letters, which meant that he would have to observe the other pilots who would be fighting for the rest of the day.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded throughout the stadium, eliciting sounds of panic from several audience members, and gasps of shock from Houki and Cecilia.

It was another IS unit that decided to break into the stadium. Shalnark turned around and activated Gyo. His face brightened significantly.

The sudden lockdown in the arena and the shield activation elicited a sigh from the computer genius. It was a hassle, but it had to be done.

He headed to the control room, where the Third Years were working on their computers to attempt to undo the forced lockdown. A few of them glanced at him as he walked in.

All it took was one look at a girl typing out a program to agitate him.

"Hey, it doesn't work like this," he said, pushing the girl aside. The poor girl was first to witness his smile turn into a frown. "Watch. This is how it's done." He quickly typed out a code that decreased the energy shields first.

"Oh, a first year is going to crack the lockdown?" another girl asked mockingly. "You have a lot of confidence-"

"Don't question my ability with a computer." Shalnark said hastily, now working on lifting the lockdown. "It is the key to all kinds of information and needs to be treated as such. If you know how to manipulate that information, you can do anything."

She was speechless and very offended over being interrupted at the last possible minute, but remained speechless. Despite this, a lot of girls turned from their computers to watch him work. Several regarded him with even more interest than they had before.

"Done," Shalnark said, pressed the "Enter" button, and got out of his seat. The sound of doors opening signaled the end of the lockdown. He ran to avoid the stream of girls trying to grab at him.

There was no need to hide whatever talents he had anymore. Today would be his last day here.

He turned to the window to watch Ichika and Lingyin battle the IS. It appeared to be unmanned, acting only when provoked, and had been repeating the same attack pattern for a while. In other words, it needed a response before it can act, just like a machine. There is no human in the IS.

But then the fingertips of the unmanned IS opened up, revealing ten gun barrels for fingers that it used to shoot energy blasts at the other two pilots.

_Franklin…!_ Shalnark thought immediately. _Why does that IS's attack resemble Franklin's?_ It opened up a lot more questions than simply getting out of this world and back to his. Needless to say, the first thing he needed to do was to find a way to stick his antenna onto the IS. The shields were open and the specialized unit should be on their way to destroy the unit, which left him only a few minutes to capture it.

Cecilia Alcott was running down the steps hurriedly, hurriedly enough to crash into Shalnark.

"Ouch…"

"…be careful! It's up to elites like myself to be there when this happens!"

Regardless of how rude Cecilia was, Shalnark bore her no ill will. How could he when she is just a toy at his command?


	5. Chapter 4

Spider x Final x Night

"So what's Sharusharu playing?" Nohotoke Honne asked playfully, wagging the "ears" of her sweater. She was trying to view the bat-winged phone on which the boy programmer was playing a game. The game appeared to be old, so much that even the black and white pixels were distinguishable, but the game had a strangely realistic feel to it.

"I'm playing a third-person shooter," Shalnark said, smiling, though just as quickly turned to concentrate on the phone. "The objective is to touch the enemy robot with your robot, which can only beat the enemy robot with an injected virus, because no other attacks would work against it."

"Cool! Can I play too?"

"Not now."

"Pleeeeaaase?"

"After I'm done. My doctor said that if I don't get a high enough score in this game, I will have to undergo brain surgery for them to determine how I'm able to pilot an IS. It's like an IQ test. Maybe next time." The girl bugged him like a Chimera Ant; those "ears" were wiggling like some kind of cat or a Pekachu from Pokemonogatari.

While Shalnark was busy spouting what the other members of the Troupe would describe as "complete and utter bullshit", Orimura Ichika and Huang Lingyin were busy fighting the unmanned IS. The problem here was that a Lingyin was beginning to think that her childhood friend was insane for forcing her to fire the impact cannon directly at his backside.

"I don't care anymore!" she screamed desperately.

Ichika used the impact to charge the Byakushiki forward, and with the Yukihara, slash at the unmanned IS. It worked, cutting an entire arm from its torso.

The boy pilot relaxed for a moment, long enough for the unmanned IS to grab his neck with its remaining arm. The Chinese girl behind him gasped.

Yet, Ichika showed no signs of struggling. Rather, he seemed unnaturally calm. "How's your aim?" he asked.

"Just perfect!" Cecilia shouted in reply from the stands, though it sounded somewhat shaky, and pulled the trigger of her rifle.

The blast tore through the metal armor of the unmanned IS, ripping off its other arm and causing it to release Ichika.

And then, Cecilia did something no pilot thought she would try to do: she shot towards the unmanned IS.

_She's closing in?_ Ichika thought in shock. _Why is a long-ranged pilot like her closing in?_

The unmanned IS fired two blasts from its eye, and then suddenly froze. Cecilia, who had managed to touch the IS, seemed to relax, and then quickly sent her drones towards the IS.

_What is she doing?_ Ichika and Lingyin both wondered.

The IS activated its jets immediately and flew out of the arena, dodging shots from the drones. It was quite mesmerizing how it was able to evade shots sent from the specialized unit that just arrived, and dove directly into the sea. A few pilots from the unit dove after the unmanned IS to salvage it.

In the aftermath of that fight, Shalnark allowed himself one small smirk before walking up to the rich blonde girl walking towards him from the hangar.

"Good job, Cecilia. You've been a great help." Shalnark said. Cecilia remained stone faced.

"Take it off."

"What do you mean?"

"Take off the device that is taking control over my body." She gritted her teeth. "I know it was you! You staged this- uhhhhnnnn…"

"You must be pretty tired." Shalnark said, using the Black Voice from his phone to command her to sleep. "Don't worry. You'll wake up next to your sleeping prince."

He removed the antenna from her shoulder and carried her to the school ward, laying her on the bed next to Ichika's as he said, but her accusation had affected his plans dramatically. If that accusation spread to the school's staff, it could prove incredibly dangerous for him. The amount of time he would have to return home was drastically shortened. He would have to take more careful measures. And there was still that issue with the unmanned IS, and how its function resembled Franklin's.

His thoughts drifted back to the shower, when he was twitching in pain from the sharp sting of the water hitting his skin like Machi's needles. Ichika had entered the bathroom to see what was wrong, and slipped and fell back in shock at seeing the massive black spot on the other boy's thigh. It was the black spot of a twelve-legged spider…

* * *

><p>Shalnark waited until nightfall, donning his characteristic vest and pants before climbing to the roof of the dormitory. He took the uniform with him in case he needed to infiltrate the academy again. Heck, it might even clothe some of the Meteor City residents who needed them.<p>

He keyed in the silent transportation command for the unmanned IS to fly over to him on a path that would bypass surveillance. Once it set itself down before him, Shalnark activated Gyo and started to dismantle the IS, concentrating Nen to his hands to make the job easier.

_There's Japanese on the cover of the IS core._ Shalnark discerned. _Buraku Uido?_

_Black Widow_! And then… _The Spider! The boss is here! _

_But he couldn't possibly communicate with us. It goes without saying that he's not careless enough to die from Kurapika's chain by communicating like this. Maybe he meant it as a memento, of the Spider we all used to be a part of._

Several floodlights suddenly flashed at his back. The sound of an energy sword materializing rang through the air.

"Make a move and you die."

* * *

><p>"Orimura-sensei, how nice to see you here."<p>

"Don't waste your breath. Save it for the interrogation room."

She turned her sword to point it at his neck. "Stand up." He stood up.

"Turn around and face me, hands on your head." He did so, and had to squint to avert the blinding light from his eyes. Five IS pilots were there to confront him, Orimura Chifuyu and Sarashiki Tatenashi included. There was also a silver-haired girl with an eyepatch and a red eye. Those three red eyes were boring into him, as though Kurapika himself had come to take his head.

"Shalnark-kun…why?" Even Yamada Maya-sensei was there, and she looked sad. Cecilia was here too, though she didn't say anything and only glared at him coldly.

Shalnark only gave the two women a smile and a vague answer. "Sorry, Yamada-sensei, Cecilia, but it's for the Spider." He turned his eyes to address Orimura Chifuyu. "So how did you find me out?"

"I did expect Miss Alcott to be injured fighting against that machine, but a clean puncture wound a few centimeters deep to the back of her shoulder doesn't sound like a possible injury from that battle." Chifuyu explained. "Her movements were also strategically stupid and uncharacteristic of her, closing in on the enemy when she had several long-ranged weapons at her disposal. It all happened after you miraculously hacked the lockdown and lifted the shields.

"We waited for Miss Alcott to wake up, because we proceeded to question her first on what had happened. She told us everything. All we had to do was to leave that hole in the surveillance so that we could catch you in the act."

"I see. So what will happen to me now?"

"You will be taken into custody of the Japanese government. After catching you pulling something like this, I highly doubt that they will give you a lenient punishment. We'll also be milking you for information on the organization that hired you to do this."

"Organization? What could you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. You thought we believed you were working alone? We have several other sources before you that point you to one particular organization at the root of your actions: Phantom Task." She smiled in satisfaction at his face turning pale and added, "Of course, should you cooperate, we will consider lightening your punishment."

"I already have my answer."

"Very well. What do you have to say?"

"Your deduction was close and your accusations were fairly accurate. Good job." Shalnark said, and proceeded to explain. "But you were wrong on two counts. First, many of my actions here, however suspicious, were truly accidental. From the moment I heard about this technology called 'Infinite Stratos', I planned to steal it. When I tried, I ended up here by accident. Lifting the lockdown and shields was my intentional doing, though setting them off in the first place was not. I also didn't send this IS here; I merely thought could make good use of it in this situation, and it also contains what I need to return home. The only thing that was staged was my manipulation of Cecilia Alcott. This is also the first time I've heard about the 'Phantom Task', though it doesn't sound too different from my organization: the 'Phantom Troupe'."

"Interesting, but you're still under arrest. What about the second?"

"Second, you assumed I may cooperate with you to begin with. Given the gender roles in this society, a man cooperating with a woman translates to subordination. I like my boss in the Troupe, and I like the Troupe, but I don't quite like you. And I'd rather die than work under someone I don't like." He released his Nen with enough killing intent packed into it to startle all five pilots. "Huh, maybe I said too much."

Chifuyu immediately moved to seize him, but it was too late. Shalnark placed his hand on the IS and disappeared out of sight.

But infusing the IS with Nen had the effect of reactivating it. Five pilots was too much for a damaged IS though, and it was easily deactivated with optical blasts.

Immediately after this had happened, a black IS landed right before them. Chifuyu and the accompanying pilots turned to meet it. The Japanese characters for "Black Angel" were etched into its pointed helmet. Each of its limbs and its torso bore the eerie symbol of an inverted cross.

The IS unraveled to reveal a handsome man in his mid twenties. The blank black eyes, orb-shaped earrings, and slicked black hair, added to the embedded cross in his forehead that was his IS's closed form, seemed to suck them into an endless void.

"Good evening. I am Kuroro Lucifer, the boss of Phantom Task. Thank you for taking care of my subordinate."

None of the five pilots dared to make a move against him. Kuroro, even when forced into Zetsu by Kurapika's Judgment Chain (though they did not know of this), boasted both the intelligence and the combat experience that made him out to be a master of the IS. In fact, they were all wary of him, preparing for whatever move he might make.

"Do not worry. I did not come here to fight you. Shalnark knows nothing about Phantom Task either." Kuroro answered reassuringly. "I simply came to tell you, that in a matter of time, that when Phantom Task merges with the Phantom Troupe, World War III will begin."

* * *

><p>Shalnark breathed a sigh of relief as he landed the IS in an obscure location in Meteor City. The Troupe had gone back for the theft, and all in all, it went rather well. There were a few Nen users there this time, but as in Yorknew City, it wasn't much to be bothered by.<p>

The rest of the Phantom Troupe stood there and admired his handiwork. Strangely, a few of them seemed rather jealous.

"About time you get back." Feitan muttered. Shalnark wondered if he was frustrated over the Chinese girl earlier.

"And there are stronger machines in the other world?" Hisoka smirked. Shalnark wondered why he was with the Troupe in the first place. "I'd like to fight them myself." Everyone else instinctively turned away from his crotch.

"So how was the adventure?" Phinks asked. This was probably what everyone wanted to know.

Shalnark looked at them with a smile. "I'd like to go there again."

"And why is that?" Machi asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Shalnark answered, and looked at the IS in front of all of them.

"The boss is there."

END

* * *

><p>AN: Finally, done with my first multi-chapter story! Whew...one idea down, several other ideas to go.

This story may have a sequel but I guarantee that said sequel will not be published on Fanfiction (less likely written) until the other stories have been completely finished. It would answer the following questions:

Why is Kuroro Lucifer and not Squall Meusel the boss of Phantom Task?

When and how will the other cast members (specifically the main cast) of Hunter X Hunter appear in all of this?

Will the characters of IS ever see the world of Hunter X Hunter?

How was the IS core designed and with what materials?

Keep in mind that in the unlikely event that these events are shown to be true, they will remain for all purposes and intentions, non-canon. This also means (again) that I do not own any of the series mentioned in this fanfiction.

"Black Angel" refers to Sensui from Yu Yu Hakusho, who was probably the main basis for Kuroro Lucifer in Hunter X Hunter. Both series are copyrighted to Togashi Yoshihiro. I based Kuroro's IS off of Sensui's defensive armor, and added mecha features along with the inverted cross motif that's present for several of the Phantom Troupe's members.

The name for the core of the unmanned IS, "Black Widow" is not meant to be confused with Palm Siberia's technique with the same name.

The "Pekachu from Pokemonogatari" is a reference to "Pikachu", "Pokemon", and "Bakemonogatari". These are details I am making up that suit the differences in the Hunter X Hunter verse.


End file.
